How do we elevate our energy in uncertain times? Service
Erin Michelle Newberg —@mserinsita—gathers essentials to distribute them to at-risk families during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The motivation of serving others is, in the most cases, that we want others to have a better outcome. We feel their unfortunate circumstances and we have a desire to see them in a better place. Our motivation to serve them is because we care.
Helping others can also help us leave places of hardship—by focusing on others, and lifting them up, we are similarly uplifted. This might be a good strategy to help us elevate our energy, especially during uncertain times. In this exchange, a person’s ego feels better by the simple act of that recognition and value. In this situation, the person feels important, needed, and an inner satisfaction and success might awake.
The personal impact, then, of making others feel better—of producing something good—is that we also feel good about ourselves.
An issue, however, in us exists when we try hard but cannot produce the change in others that we envisioned. In these moments feeling frustrated and angry is very normal. When this happens, we do not feel recognized or given credit — we feel our contribution was not good enough.
We might blame. We might get into conflict with ourselves.
Let’s shift gears here, though, for a moment. What a different feeling this person serving could have if they enjoyed the process of serving others. In this case the process itself, not just the outcome, can play a big role in the idea of service. Serving others is an act that has a true heart behind it if we originate this service from our hearts, leaving our egos behind, it can reconnect us to our own humanity.
Yes, it’s true that serving others helps us feel recognized, but serving others is also an exercise of awareness. We are not just observers but participants. We are energized and present. We are aware of others, of our environment, and of ourselves.
